FLYING AT THE FRONT END: Eos ” a new style of business class
With the editor elsewhere, long time air transport journalist Barry Wheeler has become one of the first travellers to sample Eos, newly arrived and most innovative. Here is what he has to say. And we will ignore comments about the misnomer. Yes you can't fly at the back end of Eos.
New US start-up business-class carrier Eos Airlines believes that size matters. More specifically the size of 78 inches, which is the length of the fully reclined bed available to every passenger aboard the airline”s new point-to-point scheduled service, between Stansted and New York JFK. While the launch was on 18 October and initial route proving began that week, the first opportunity the media had to sample the service was the official inaugural on 26 October and for a 7 hours 40 minutes transatlantic flight, it proved a rare and unusually satisfying experience, given the tedium most long-distance flights generate. Founded by ex-British Airways executive David Spurlock and initially called Atlantic Express (glad he ditched that no-frills-sounding name); Eos is designed to give business travellers the corporate jet feel for their journey.
Named after the Greek goddess of the dawn, the company has leased three Boeing 757-200s and fitted each of them with 48 luxury seats specifically designed to give the traveller privacy and the space to work, rest and sleep. Because the seats are staggered ” four abreast with the usual centre isle, each passenger enjoys his or her own space, all 21 square feet of it and claimed to be 40% more than traditional top tier business class, although no doubt some of the majors would disagree with that. However, each position gives ample space with a companion seat, to allow a colleague to sit opposite with a large fold-out table between for in-flight meetings ” just like sitting in your own private jet!
The food and drink comes with the price at ”2,500 return per passenger until January, after which it rises to the widely announced figure of ”3,500. Do & Co, International, provide the catering and present the high-quality dishes in a stylish manner with, almost forgotten in today”s airline world, metal cutlery (hooray!). With no seat-back screens inches from your nose, the airline hands out individual DVD entertainment units with the usual selection of movies, music and games.
With some of the first clients already singing the praises of the new service and related with relish by Spurlock at the pre-flight speeches, the overwhelming opinion is that this is what the well-travelled executive has been wanting for years but has to date been unable to find. Attentive cabin staff, personalised service at the terminals, and the use of hospitality suites, help to make the journey bearable with a feeling that the passenger really is important and not just a consignment to be transferred from one end to the other. Eos intends to tap into the highly-profitable premium class sectors currently monopolised by the big carriers, but they won”t take easily to a new upstart operator muscling in on their precious preserve and eroding bottom line figures. If passengers do decide to give Eos a try (and they should), and find that they like the service the response of BA and Virgin will be interesting.
With his investors having deep pockets, Spurlock says ”The first six months of this operation will be crucial in the success or otherwise of Eos. I will be very worried if things have not worked out to our advantage by then. Further point-to-point services, probably from Stansted, are in the pipeline, but these will depend on the popularity of the present venture and whether it survives the first year”s operation. Eastbound flights depart New York JFK at 1905 and arrive at Stansted at 0730; westbound flights leave Stansted at 1030 and arrive at JFK at 1329.
http://www.eosairlines.com